In short
MSSP vs MSP comes down to focus. A managed service provider (MSP) keeps IT running: support, devices, networks, cloud services and backups. A managed security service provider (MSSP) focuses on security: monitoring for threats, managing security controls and responding to incidents. Many organisations need both, and some providers, including Forever Systems, offer both.
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The short answer
A managed service provider (MSP) looks after your IT so that it works: the helpdesk, laptops and servers, Microsoft 365, the network, patching and backups. Its success is measured in uptime, ticket resolution and users who can get on with their jobs.
A managed security service provider (MSSP) looks after your security so that attacks are spotted and stopped: monitoring endpoints, identities, email and network devices for threats, investigating alerts, containing incidents and managing the security tools that make that possible. Its success is measured in threats detected, contained and learned from.
The two overlap, because good IT hygiene is good security. But an MSP that patches your laptops is not the same as a service that notices, at three in the morning, that someone has signed in to your finance director's mailbox from abroad and is setting up forwarding rules.
MSSP vs MSP compared
| MSP | MSSP | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Availability and performance of IT | Confidentiality and integrity: detecting and stopping attacks |
| Typical services | Helpdesk, device management, patching, networking, Microsoft 365 administration, backup | SOC and SIEM monitoring, MDR or MXDR, managed endpoint, email, firewall and identity security, vulnerability management, incident response |
| What is monitored | Uptime, capacity, performance, failed backups | Suspicious behaviour, attacker techniques, risky sign-ins, malicious email, security logs |
| Typical tools | Remote monitoring and management, ticketing, backup software | EDR and XDR, SIEM, identity threat detection, email security platforms |
| Who responds | Engineers during contracted support hours | SOC analysts, often 24/7 in the vendor services MSSPs use, within agreed response authority |
| Skills | Systems administration, networking, end-user support | Threat detection, investigation, incident response, security engineering |
| Reporting | Ticket and availability reports | Incident reports, threat summaries, compliance evidence |
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Where MSPs and MSSPs overlap
Many controls sit in both camps. Patching, MFA, secure configuration, firewall management and backups all keep systems running and make them harder to attack. They are also the heart of Cyber Essentials, which is why IT providers often help with certification.
The difference is what happens when something gets past those controls. An MSP is set up to fix faults. An MSSP is set up to recognise that a strange PowerShell command on one laptop, a new inbox rule on another account and an unusual login to the VPN are the same attack, and to contain it before data leaves the building.
There is another reason to think about security separately. An MSP typically holds privileged, remote access to many customers' systems at once, which makes MSPs an attractive route for attackers into lots of organisations. Ask your IT provider how its own access is secured, monitored and logged, whoever monitors the rest of your estate.
MSP vs MSSP vs MDR
A third term often joins the comparison. Managed detection and response (MDR) is a service focused specifically on detecting, investigating and containing threats, usually around the clock and often delivered by a security vendor's own SOC.
| MSP | MSSP | MDR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | IT operations | Security operations across several controls | Threat detection and response |
| Breadth | Wide | Wide within security | Narrower, deeper |
| Typical relationship | Your IT department, outsourced | Your security department, outsourced | A specialist service, often delivered by a vendor and managed by an MSSP |
Our MSSP vs MDR guide explains how MDR fits inside an MSSP service, and what is an MSSP? covers the MSSP definition in full.
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UK regulation: the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
The line between MSPs and security matters more in the UK because of the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill. The government's factsheet says it would bring medium and large managed service providers that meet the definition of a "relevant managed service provider" into the scope of the NIS Regulations 2018. The factsheet's definition of managed services includes managed security services such as a security operations centre and SIEM, as well as IT outsourcing. In-scope providers would be regulated by the Information Commission (formerly the Information Commissioner's Office), would have to register with it, would need appropriate and proportionate measures to manage security risks, and would have to report significant incidents. Small and micro providers would be exempt, although they could still be designated as critical suppliers.
At the time of writing (1 November 2026) the Bill is not yet law: it is in the House of Lords, with its third reading listed for 2 November 2026, and many details, such as incident thresholds, are left to secondary legislation. Our page on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill for MSPs tracks what it would mean for providers and their customers, and the NIS Regulations explains the current law.
For buyers, the practical point is that your IT and security providers are becoming part of your regulated supply chain. It is worth asking them now how they would handle the new duties.
Do you need an MSP, an MSSP or both?
It depends on what you already have in-house:
- You have no IT staff: you probably need an MSP for day-to-day IT and an MSSP, or an MSP with a genuine security service, for monitoring and response
- You have an IT team but no security specialists: an MSSP or a co-managed SOC lets your team keep running IT while specialists watch for threats; see co-managed SOC
- You have a security lead but no 24/7 cover: a vendor MDR or SOC service, managed by an MSSP, fills the nights and weekends
- You are regulated or in a demanding supply chain: you will want logging, monitoring and incident response you can evidence; see UK cyber security compliance
Whichever route you take, write down who is responsible for what. Gaps between an IT provider and a security provider are where incidents get missed.
Questions to ask your IT provider about security
If your MSP says it also covers security, these questions will show how far that goes:
- Who watches security alerts outside office hours, and what can they do when they see one?
- Which data does that monitoring cover: endpoints only, or Microsoft 365 sign-ins, email, firewalls and cloud services as well?
- Can the service isolate a device or disable an account itself, or does it raise a ticket for someone to look at in the morning?
- Who runs the SOC behind the service: the MSP's own staff or a security vendor?
- How are the MSP's own remote access tools and administrator accounts protected and monitored?
- What happens in a serious incident: who leads it, and is specialist incident response included or extra?
- How long are security logs kept, and could you get them back if you changed provider?
Clear answers to all seven suggest a genuine security service. Vague answers suggest you need a specialist alongside your IT provider. Our how to choose an MSSP checklist goes into each area in more depth.
How Forever Systems covers both
Forever Group supplies IT services such as Microsoft 365, connectivity, telephony and cloud backup, and Forever Systems supplies and manages security services. On the security side, the 24/7 monitoring and response comes from vendor services such as Sophos MDR, Check Point MDR, Cisco XDR Premier and WatchGuard MDR; we choose the right one, set it up, manage it and handle escalation with you.
That means we can look at your IT and security together and help close the gaps between them. If you already have an IT provider you are happy with, we can work alongside them, with responsibilities agreed and confirmed at quote. See our managed security services for what we can run, or contact us to talk it through.
How Forever Systems helps with managed security
We do not run our own security operations centre. The round-the-clock monitoring, investigation and response come from managed detection and response services that established security vendors already run at scale. Our part is choosing the right one for you, setting it up properly and staying involved.
- Independent recommendation: we supply several vendor MDR, XDR and SIEM services, including Sophos MDR, Check Point MDR and Cisco XDR, so we can suggest the one that fits the tools you already own
- Setup and onboarding: we can deploy agents, connect integrations such as Microsoft 365 and work with the vendor through tuning
- Clear responsibilities: escalation contacts, response permissions and who does what are agreed with you in writing and confirmed at quote
- Ongoing management: we help with policy changes, exclusions, renewals and regular service reviews
- Wider security too: security awareness training, Cyber Essentials and cloud security advice
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations across the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Is an MSSP better than an MSP?
Neither is better; they do different jobs. An MSP keeps your IT working and an MSSP keeps it secure. Most organisations without their own IT and security staff benefit from both, either from two providers or one that genuinely offers both.
Can an MSP be an MSSP?
Yes. Some MSPs add a security service, often by supplying and managing a vendor's MDR or SOC service. Check what the security service actually includes: who monitors, when, and what they are allowed to do.
Does an MSP provide cyber security?
Most MSPs provide basic security hygiene such as patching, antivirus, MFA and backup. Fewer provide continuous threat monitoring, investigation and incident response, which is what defines an MSSP service.
What is the difference between MSP, MSSP and MDR?
An MSP manages IT operations, an MSSP manages security operations across several controls, and MDR is a specialist service focused on detecting and responding to threats 24/7. An MSSP often delivers MDR as part of its service.
Will MSPs be regulated in the UK?
They may be. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill would bring medium and large managed service providers that meet its definition into the NIS Regulations, with regulation by the Information Commission and incident reporting. At the time of writing it was still before Parliament.
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